JPH09153964A - System for sending bill for dialog and information data service telophone - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a paying mechanism which does not require the establishment of a moneyed relation between a user and ISP(information service provider) or the supply of the number of a credit card by requiring a charge for information and/or a service through the use of number-900 service. SOLUTION: Services provided from ISP 101 are accessed by user's connecting to an internet 102 by his own terminal 104. A bill for the using of the service of ISP 101 is required from ISP based on telephone calls called from the user to the subscribed telephone number-900. The user at the terminal 104 calls to the number-900 of ISP from a telephone equipment 116 to be connected with an IXL telephone network 115 providing number-900 services. The bill is sent to a cell connected with the 900 bill sending number of ISP by means of the bill sending system of a telephone company.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a billing method for information and interactive services.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art
Data networks such as the Internet have made thousands of information and interaction services available to users. Prodigy, America Online and Compuserv
Large-scale information service providers such as e) provide their own information and dialogue services, as well as access to the Internet and thousands of small service providers around the world. Users can also access the Internet and thousands of smaller information service providers (ISPs) directly through smaller users = local Internet access providers. Generally, large-scale information service providers bill their customers on a time-use basis after the monetary payment relationship is established. Similarly, smaller users-local Internet access providers also typically organize service charges to their subscribers for access to the Internet on a time-use basis.

[0003] Smaller ISPs currently do not, or even if do so, charge users for access to their information and interactive services. Either you haven't requested it. Regular users of a particular established ISP may not object to establishing a financial relationship for payment purposes. However, users may or may not want to establish overrelationship with so many different providers if they access many different ISPs, each on an occasional basis only.

ISPs who charge or want to charge for access to their information and / or interaction services
Can do so by requiring the user to enter a credit card number before the data service is provided. However, the user may not want to provide his credit card number to an ISP that he or she basically does not know, or perhaps has an illusionary conversation. In addition, it is well known that personal credit card information should not be transmitted over public data networks which may be subject to unauthorized access.

The object of the present invention is to provide IS over the Internet.
A payment mechanism for a user to access P that charges a fee for the information and / or services provided and establishes a financial relationship between the user and the ISP or provides the user with a credit card number over the Internet. Neither is to provide a payment mechanism that does not require it.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a telephone company charges a fee for the purpose of billing for receiving information and / or interaction services provided by an ISP over a data network such as the Internet. Provides the ISP with the telephone number set by the caller. The number is
It is commonly known as the "900 number" in the United States. User is a web client /
Using techniques such as server technology, access the ISP as it normally would on the first connection over the Internet or other data network. However, billing is accomplished with a second connection, either a real or virtual telephone call that is charged to the user by dialing the ISP's 900 telephone number.

After receiving an authenticated, actual or virtual call, the ISP associates the call with the user's request for information and / or interaction services over the Internet to allow the ISP to request the requested information and / or Providing services to users. Accordingly, payment by the user for the information and / or services provided is accomplished by billing the user's telephone account for an actual or virtual 900 number call placed on the ISP. The ISP receives payment from the telephone company via crediting its 900 number account for the call. In this arrangement, the billing mechanism is removed from the mechanism that provides the information and / or interaction services, and the user can be confident that billing will be performed through a trusted telephone company.

In addition, users access multiple different ISPs with 900 numbers associated with billing purposes without having to establish a financial relationship with anyone or providing a credit card number over the Internet. be able to. From an ISP's perspective, a payment receiving method is provided by a trusted third party known to the user for information and / or interaction services provided to a large number of different users through the use of mechanisms established through the telephone company. It

In one embodiment of the present invention, a user dials an ISP's 900 number on a telephone whose number is provided to the ISP by the user over the Internet. Automatic number identifier of received 900 number call (A
By comparing NI) to the telephone number provided by the user on the Internet, the ISP identifies and certifies the service to the user at the user's associated Internet network address. As used herein, the term "network address" means a mechanism for identifying a user of a service, which may be an internet protocol address or some other mechanism that identifies a user on the Internet or some other network. be able to. For those situations where ANI is not available, the ISP provides the user with an identification number over the Internet, which is entered by the user on a 900 number call to the ISP via touchtone multifrequency input. The ISP then identifies the 900 number call by a particular user and authorizes the provision of data services to that user on the Internet.

In another embodiment, rather than making a 900 number call directly to the ISP, the user clicks the icon on his terminal screen and receives a confirmation screen provided directly by the telephone company over the Internet. . I
By entering the SP's 900 number and the identification number provided by the ISP, the telephone company makes a 900 call to the ISP and sends the ISP the identification number associated with the user. In the same embodiment, the user's network address is sent by the telephone company to the ISP for association with the request for data service. In another embodiment, a virtual call, rather than an actual call, is placed on the ISP's 900 number.
In this example, the user clicks on the telephone company confirmation screen and the telephone company automatically charges the user's telephone number to make a 900 number call to the ISP and lends to the ISP's 900 number account. Fill out. The telephone company then forwards the confirmed user's network address to the ISP over the Internet rather than the telephone network, indicating to the ISP that the data service to the user at that network address has been approved.

In the last three embodiments, in order to prevent fraud, means are included to authenticate the user as being correctly associated with the telephone number the user provides to the telephone company for billing purposes. Has been. For details,
In these embodiments, the user's telephone number and a password known only to the user and the telephone company are encrypted with a well-known encryption key associated only with the telephone company before they are sent to the telephone company. Only the telephone company that has its own private encryption key can decode the telephone number and password. After authenticating the user by verifying the association between the telephone number and the password provided and decrypted by the user, the ISP begins to provide the user with the requested information and / or interaction services.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a system for providing user access to information and / or interaction services by a data network and a telephone network mechanism for providing these services. . For purposes of illustration, it is assumed that the data network is the Internet, but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to billing for information and / or interaction services provided by the Internet alone.

In FIG. 1, one ISP 101 connected to the Internet network 102 is shown. However, it turns out that thousands of ISPs are connected to the Internet and are available for access with many users around the world who have access to the Internet. The connection between the ISP 101 and the Internet 102 is mediated by a T1 digital transmission facility 103 or other high speed transmission line. A user who wants to access information and / or interaction services available from the ISP 101 via the Internet can be an individual accessing the Internet via his terminal 104. Terminal 104 connects to a user's local exchange carrier (LEC) network 106 via a modem (not shown).
The Internet 102 can be connected through an OTS telephone connection. From the LEC 106, a connection is made to the user = local Internet access provider 107, which provides access to the Internet via the T1 digital transmission facility 108.

Other users are, for example, terminals 11 connected to the company (or education) data network 113.
0, 111 and 112 may be used to be in a common company (or education) environment such as 109 in the figure. The corporate (or educational) data network 113 is the corporate web
Local network (LA) connected to server 114
N) or a wide area network (WAN). The server 114 provides its own information and / or interaction services to the user using terminals in the corporate (or educational) environment, but at the same time is available to other users on the Internet. Company web server 11
4 is connected to the Internet 102 via T1 digital transmission equipment 115 or other digital equipment. Thus, a corporate (or educational) user may access information and / or interaction services available through the corporate web server 114, or be connected to the ISP 101, or the Internet 102, not shown. Information and / or interaction services available through some other ISP can be accessed over the Internet 102.

As explained above, billing for information and / or interaction services that can be provided to a user from an ISP, such as ISP 101, is done by the user.
Problems can arise if a payment relationship is not established with the SP. Establishing such relationships, or alternatively, arranging payments by credit card over the Internet, is likely to impede users who only occasionally access ISP 101. In general, many ISPs now charge for access to their information and / or interaction services, even though the users may be significantly benefited from the lack of an acceptable billing mechanism. I haven't. Therefore, establishing a simple and reliable billing mechanism
There is considerable monetary value to an ISP who may receive hundreds rather than thousands of requests for information and / or interaction services each day. In addition, it is the user's ISP's responsibility to charge the user a legitimate fee for access to information and / or interaction services that the user deems valuable.
Is unlikely to prevent you from accessing.

In accordance with the present invention, billing for information and / or services provided by ISPs to users on the Internet (or other data network) is subscribed to by the ISPs for the purpose of billing these 900. Performed by a separate actual or virtual telephone call placed by the user over the telephone network to a telephone number. When used here, "900 number", "9
"00 phone number" or "900 number service"
Any type of telephone service is applicable, in which the called party charges for calls made to it by either calling party and then receives income from it. In general, the charges may be based on a fixed cost per call, such as used in television polling, where the caller is charged a fixed amount for each call. Alternatively, charges can be based on the cost per time interval that the caller is charged according to the duration of the call, such as those used to access various audio information services. When a user calls the 900 number, his telephone account is billed for the telephone
The 0 number subscriber's account is credited for the call with less than the service charge.

According to the billing arrangements of the present invention described herein, once the ISP receives a 900 number call from the user and associates the telephone call with a request to wait for service over the Internet, the requested information and / or Or the service is provided to the user's terminal. 90
If the billing mechanism is arranged so that the 0 number call connection remains in place during the user's access to the ISP, the billing for the 900 number call connection will be based on the duration of the connection. In exchange, to maintain the use of the telephone network, 900
A number call can be terminated once it has been associated with an internet request, and the user can have a predetermined number of "pages" of information regarding a predetermined session time with the ISP or the cost of 900 number calls. "
Is given. The user is then given the option of extending his session time or expanding the number of "pages" of information provided by making an additional real or virtual 900 number call to the ISP.

Various arrangements are performed to establish either a real or virtual billing call from the user to the ISP's 900 number through an intermediate switching carrier (IXC) telephone network 115 that provides the ISP 101 with a 900 number service. can do. Terminal 104
Users at 90 ISPs from his phone 116
You can call the 0 number. This phone
900 via user's LEC network 106
IXC telephone network providing number service 1
15 is connected. In FIG. 2 showing the adjunct components of the network 115 relevant to the invention required herein for such a call, the call from the user from 201 is connected to the switch 202, which switches the call. ISP1 via LEC117 (FIG. 1) of ISP
Connect to 01. The billing system 203 is associated with the switch 202 within the network 115 and includes a telephone bill for each user, for calls connected to the ISP's 900 billing number or for such calls from all users. Perform billing for crediting your ISP's account. Calls made by the user at telephone 116 are placed over a telephone line 118 that is different from the line 115 on which the user's Internet connection is established. Alternatively, a modem (not shown) capable of simultaneously handling both independent voice and data connections can be used to connect terminal 104 and telephone 116 to LEC 106.

In the company (or education) environment 109,
The user of terminal 110 can make a billing call using his associated telephone 119. This call is through the company PBX120 and is associated with the LEC associated with the PBX120.
ISP10 via 121 and IXC network 115
Sent to 1. Alternatively, the user of terminal 112 may instruct PBX 120 to dial the ISP's 900 billing number specified by a signal from company web server 114 via line 123.

Rather than making a direct call to the ISP 101's 900 billing number, the user can instruct the telephone network 115 to cause the ISP 101 to make a billing call via the Internet 102. FIG. 3 shows a network 115 enabling this arrangement.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the first embodiment. To access the telephone network 115 via the Internet 102, the user clicks on the telephone company icon and the web server 3 in the telephone network 115 connected to the Internet via the digital transmission facility 124.
Call the page from 01. In response to user input over the Internet indicating the 900 number to which the billing call should be made, the web server 301 will call the ISP 101 through the switch 202 (numbered the same as in FIG. 2). To the controller 302. As described in connection with FIG. 2, the billing system 203 (labeled with the same numbers as in FIG. 2) bills the user identified as the 900 call, and the ISP's 900 Credit the number account.

Rather than dialing an actual 900 number call to ISP 101 over the telephone network,
Billing the user for a call to the SP and I
A virtual call can be placed to perform crediting the SP. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the network 115 that enables this arrangement. As described above, the user clicks on the telephone company icon to connect to the telephone network 1 via the Internet 102.
15 is accessed, and the page is called from the web server 301 (with the same numbers as in FIG. 3). Rather than instruct the switch to make an actual telephone call to ISP 101 over the telephone network, server 30
1 directly interacts with the billing system 203 to communicate with the ISP
Charge the identified user's telephone account for a 900 number call to 101 and credit the ISP 101 for that same call. Then the web
The server 301 notifies the ISP 101 via the Internet and the digital transmission equipment 101 that the bill sending call from the user identified by the message transmitted via the digital transmission equipment 124 and the internet has been received.

In the above arrangement where the telephone company interacts with the user over the Internet for the purpose of making either a real or virtual call to the ISP 101, the user
You must provide your telephone number to complete the billing. To prevent the user from illegally entering the wrong telephone number, the user knows only the telephone number and the user and the telephone company, encrypted from the user's terminal with a well-known key associated with the telephone company only. Both passwords that you have

Requested to send to server 301. The encrypted telephone number and password can only be decrypted by adding to the encrypted information a private key known only to the telephone company. Therefore, the user's telephone number and password are protected from unauthorized access on the Internet. The use of well-known and private keys for encryption and decryption of information is well known in the art, for example, W. Diffie, "The First Ten Years of Well-Known Key Cryptography," Proceedi.
ng of the IEEE, 76: 560-577, 1988.
The user-provided and decrypted telephone number and password are processed by the processor 305 in the telephone network 115 of FIGS. The user can store the decrypted phone number and password in the database 3
It is authenticated by comparing it with the known password associated with that telephone number stored in 06.

If the correct password is provided, the user is authenticated. Once the user has been authenticated, the telephone company is sent to it as in 9
Signal the ISP either through a 00 number telephone or the Internet as in FIG. In this latter situation, the telephone company's message to the ISP notifying the ISP that the user has been authenticated can be similarly encrypted to prevent fraud. Therefore, a message from the telephone company is encrypted with the telephone company's private key and decrypted by the ISP using the telephone company's well-known key.

In each of the embodiments described above, the ISP 10
1 must be able to confirm a request for information and / or interaction services made via the Internet with a subsequent actual or virtual 900 number call made to it. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the ISP 101 showing the relationship between components that interact with the Internet and components that interact with the telephone network. The ISP has a web server 501 that provides information and / or interaction services over the Internet, and multiple 900 number calls that have been placed on the ISP for billing multiple different requests that are likely to occur simultaneously over the Internet. Telephone line termination unit 50, such as a PBX, for terminating
2 inclusive. The data-voice control unit 503 is a web server 5 for comparing information provided over the telephone network in formats such as dual tone multi-frequency tones with data received from the Internet.
03 and unit 502 as an interface. The control unit 503 functions to notify the web server 501 to confirm the user for whom the billing has been confirmed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart detailing the billing mechanism and associated Internet connection activation for a scenario in which a user places a 900 number call from an identifiable telephone terminal to an ISP. Step 6
At 01, the user accesses the ISP via the Internet. Then, in step 602, the ISP provides the user with a 900 number to call for billing authorization. Then the user is 90 of the ISP
The 0 number is dialed (step 603), and the ISP is provided with the telephone number of the 900 number call via the Internet (step 604). ISP
Collects the telephone number provided via the Internet and the network address of the user on the Internet (step 605).

The user's network address on the Internet is available and known to the ISP and server to which the user is connected. At the same time, the telephone company connects the user to the dialed ISP 900 billing number, charges the user for 900 calls, credits the ISP's 900 number account, and extracts the ANI of the user's phone. Send to ISP (step 606).

The ISP groups the user's ANIs (step 607). The telephone number provided by the user via the Internet matches the ANI provided to the ISP via any received 900 number billing call within a preselected time interval after the request for service is made. If not (step 608), the user is not denied access (step 609). IS
Data-Voice Control Unit 5 in ISP 101 if 900 number call to P has matching ANI
05 verifies the network address associated with the user's phone number / ANI (step 610) and the user is verified for service (step 611). The ISP then provides the user's network address with the first screen of service to the user (step 6).
12).

FIG. 7 cannot be verified at the ANI, as the user may be behind the PBX, or the user may have instructed the corporate server to make a 900 number billing call to the ISP. 6 is a flowchart detailing a billing mechanism and associated Internet connection activation for a scenario where a telephone terminal makes a 900 number call to an ISP. As with the previous scenario, the user can
(Step 701) and the ISP provides a 900 billing number and session identification (ID) number for the call (step 702).

The user dials the ISP's 900 billing number (step 703) and the ISP collects the user's network address and associates it with the session ID number (step 704). The telephone company connects the user to the ISP's 900 line, charges the user for a 900 number call, and credits the ISP (step 705). To confirm a 900 number billing call with a request for service on the internet, the user enters the session ID provided by the ISP via the internet via his touchtone dial when prompted. (Step 706). Then
The ISP control unit 503 collects the session ID entered via the 900 number telephone call (step 70).
7).

If no 900 number call with a session ID number matching the session ID number of the user waiting for service is received within a predetermined time interval, then to the ISP for that user. Access is denied (step S709). Otherwise,
If a match is found, the control unit 503 checks the network address associated with the matched session ID (step 710) and the user at that address is checked for service (step 711).
The ISP web server 501 then provides the first screen of service to the user at that network address (step 712).

8 to 10, the user clicks the icon to access the screen provided by the telephone company,
6 is a flow chart illustrating a scenario in which a telephone company makes a telephone billing call to an ISP, either real or virtual. In FIG. 8, the user accesses the ISP via the Internet as in the previous scenario (step 801). The ISP provides the user with the session ID number and the 900 number for the billing call (step 802). The user clicks the icon to connect to the telephone confirmation screen (step 803). The phone confirmation screen requires the user to enter the 900 number and session ID number to dial, along with the user's billing phone number and associated telephone company password.

The latter two are automatically encrypted with a well-known key of the telephone company (step 804). At the same time, ISP
Holds the network address of the user requesting the service and the associated session ID number (step 8).
05). The information entered by the user is sent to the telco, which authenticates the user by decoding the user's telephone number and password by applying its private key as previously described (step 80).
6). If authenticated, the telephone company dials the ISP's 900 billing number, charges the user for the call, and credits the ISP (step 807).

Upon prompting, the telephone network sends the session ID number to the ISP over the telephone connection (step 8).
08). Pair D, the ISP collects the session ID of the authenticated user (step 809). An ISP with a 900 number billing call having the session ID of the user requesting the service within a predetermined time interval
If not received (step 810),
The user is denied access to the service (step 811). If a match is found, the user's session ID number is confirmed with the network address (step 812) and the ISP provides the user at that network address with the first screen of service (step 813).

FIG. 9 illustrates a scenario in which an authorized user's network address is used rather than a session ID number to correlate a user's request for service on a billing call. The user accesses the ISP via the Inter value as in the previous scenario (step 901) and the ISP provides the user with a screen showing the 900 number for the call for billing authorization (step 902). ). Next, the user clicks the telephone company icon and calls a confirmation screen from the telephone company (step 903).

The user inputs this 900 number together with his billing telephone number and associated telephone company password which are encrypted using the well-known key of the telephone company (step 904). The encrypted telephone number and password, the ISP's 900 number, and the user's network address are then sent to the telephone company (step 905). The telephone company decrypts the user's telephone number and password to authenticate the user (step 90).
6). If the user is authenticated, the telephone company dials the ISP's 900 billing number, charges the user and credits the ISP (step 90).
7). The network address of the authenticated user is then sent to the ISP in a 900 call (step 90).
8). The ISP sends the first screen of the service to the authenticated user at that network address (step 909).

FIG. 10 illustrates a scenario where there is no actual 900 call placed on the ISP's 900 billing number. Steps 1001-1006 are shown in FIG.
Steps 901 to 906 are the same. Step 10
At 07, rather than actually making a 900 number call to the ISP, the telephone company charges the user's telephone number directly for the 900 number call to the ISP,
Credit the 0 number account. The telephone company then sends the authenticated user's network address to the ISP over the Internet rather than the telephone network (step 1008). This network address is encrypted with the telephone company's well-known key to prevent unauthorized access. The ISP collects the encrypted network address of the authenticated user for the service from the Internet, decrypts this address with the private key of the telephone company, and gives the user at this network address the first screen of the service. Are provided (step 1009).

Some users, especially if they do not believe that they may not receive the requested information and / or interaction services due to Internet congestion or other factors even if they pay. Some may not want to approve the payment before it is received.
In order to increase the user's level of trust, information and / or interaction services may be provided to the user first, followed by payment approved by the billing methodology of the present invention described above. For information services, information is sent to the user in two parts to ensure that the user pays for the information.

The first part consists of plain text information, not cryptography, which in principle does not contain the content of the valuable information, but whether the user wishes to receive and pay for the more valuable second part. Provide users with the necessary and sufficient information to make the decision. The valuable second part of the information is sent by the ISP to the user in encrypted format. User sees the first part of the information and then the second
If you also decide to look at the section, start the invoicing procedure using one of the methods previously described. When billing is performed, the ISP signals the user's terminal to decrypt the already stored information. Interaction services can be provided in a similar manner.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart detailing this "postpay" embodiment of the present invention. Step 1101
Then, the user accesses the ISP via the Internet. The ISP passes the requested information to the user in both clear and encrypted parts (step 1102). In step S1103, the user initiates the billing procedure through the telephone company with a 900 number call to the ISP if he wants to see the second portion of the requested information. This billing procedure may be any of the methods described above. Step 110
At 4, the ISP confirms the billing and signals the user's terminal to decrypt the second portion of the information, and at step 1105, the second portion of the information stored at the user's terminal is Decrypted and made available to users.

It is also possible to execute another method of "immediately seeing payment later". For example, all the requested information and / or services can be passed to the user before the billing procedure is requested. After all the requested information and / or services have been passed to the user, the user is required to initiate one of the billing procedures described above. However, if the user does not arrange for billing, the ISP may deny the user subsequent access.

The billing procedure of the present invention has been described above with respect to billing for information and / or interaction services of the type generally available to users on the Internet or flag data networks. The present invention is of any type for a user on a first connection over any type of network where billing is performed for that information and / or service on a second connection over a telephone network. It can easily be applied to the provision of information and / or services to users.

Accordingly, the present invention provides software downloaded via the Internet or other data network to users who will be billed for software downloaded by calling the seller's 900 billing number. Can be used for. The present invention also provides a teleconferencing service,
Video services, TV services provided by cable and / or broadcast media, games, bulletin boards and chat (c
It can also be used for interactive services such as hat) media. It should be understood that the term "information and / or interaction service" should include all of these types of information and services, as well as all other types not detailed. The network capable of providing information and / or interaction services can be a wired or wireless data network or a wired or wireless analog network. The signals transmitted on the wired network can be electrical or optical in nature.

The embodiments described above are illustrative of the principles of the invention. Other embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system according to the present invention that provides a billing service over a telephone network for information and / or interaction services provided over a data network such as the Internet.

FIG. 2 illustrates a first configuration of a telephone company billing system in which a telephone call is placed by a user to an ISP's 900 billing number.

FIG. 3 is a telephone call in response to a signal from a user to a server associated with a telephone company via the Internet.
The 2nd structure of the telephone company bill sending system which is applied to the 900 bill sending number of SP is shown.

FIG. 4 is an ISP 900 virtual telephone call rather than a real one.
The billing number is applied to bill the user's telephone bill for the call to the ISP's 900 number billing number, and the ISP's 900 for this virtual call
A third configuration of a telephone company billing system in which crediting of a number telephone account is accomplished at the telephone company in response to a signal from the user over the internet to an internet server associated with the telephone company. Show.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an ISP showing the intermediary relationship between the Internet and the telephone network needed to associate a request for service with a 900 number billing call.

FIG. 6 is a step of connecting a user to an ISP over the Internet, wherein billing for the connection is performed by the user from an ANI identifiable telephone terminal to the ISP 900;
3 is a flowchart showing steps performed through a telephone network as a first embodiment of the present invention for making a call to a billing number.

FIG. 7: The user calls the ISP's 900 billing number from a telephone terminal that cannot be confirmed by the ANI, but is supplied to the user by the ISP via the Internet connection, and billed to correctly associate the Internet connection with the billing call 6 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the present invention using a session identification number sent back to the ISP by writing.

FIG. 8 is a third aspect of the present invention in which the user directs the telephone company over the Internet to make a 900 number billing call to the ISP for billing to the entered telephone number. It is a flow chart of an example.

FIG. 9: The user instructs the telephone company via the Internet to make a 900 number billing call to the ISP in order to send a bill to his / her own telephone number entered, Internet connection and billing 6 is a flow chart of a fourth embodiment of the present invention which uses the network address of the user on the internet to correctly associate the call.

FIG. 10 allows a user to charge his telephone account for a call to an ISP's 900 number billing number without the actual telephone 900 number billing call being placed on the ISP 900 number. Fifth aspect of the present invention for instructing a telephone company via the Internet
6 is a flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 11: The first part of the information and / or service requested by the user is provided in a clear format while the remaining more valuable second part of the information is provided in an encrypted format, 4 is a flow chart of one embodiment of the present invention in which a billing procedure with a 900 number billing call is performed when the user desires to see the second portion.

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A billing method for charges of information and / or interaction services provided by a provider to a user on a first connection, wherein a billing telephone call is initiated by a connection independent of a telephone number of the provider. And the step of sending a bill for the cost of the billing telephone call, wherein the telephone number of the provider is determined by the called party for the charge to the calling party for the telephone call to the telephone number. A telephone number of a type that is billed to the provider's telephone number and the fee for the user to obtain the information and / or interaction services provided by the provider on the first connection. A method characterized by representing. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a billing telephone call involves the user making a billing telephone call to a provider's telephone number and relating to the cost of the billing telephone call. A method comprising signaling a telephone company to send a bill. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a billing telephone call includes billing the provider's telephone number without the user making an actual telephone call to the provider's telephone number. A method comprising signaling a telephone company to bill for the cost of a telephone call. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
A method comprising the step of confirming that a telephone call received at a provider is a billing telephone call made by a user to a telephone number of the provider. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of verifying that the telephone call received and provided to the provider by the first connection at the telephone number is a billing telephone call is performed by the user. Confirming the automatic number identifier (ANI) of the received telephone call from the step of making the written telephone call, and the ANI of the received telephone call with the telephone number provided to the provider by the user on the first connection. If they match,
Verifying that the received telephone call is a billing telephone call made by the user. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of confirming that the received telephone call is a billing telephone call includes providing an identification number to the user on the first connection; Providing the identification number provided to the provider in the billing telephone call, and the identification number provided to the provider in the received telephone call provided to the user in the first connection. Verifying that the received telephone call is a billing telephone call made by the user if it matches the identification number. 7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:
Billing method A method comprising the step of providing a telephone company with a telephone number to send a bill to a telephone call. 8. A billing system for charges of information and / or interaction services provided by a provider to a user on a first connection, wherein a billing telephone call is initiated by a connection independent of a provider's telephone number. And a means for sending a bill for the cost of the billing telephone call, wherein the telephone number of the provider is the charge to the calling party for the telephone call to the telephone number by the called party. The type of telephone number that is determined and the charge for the billing telephone call to the provider's telephone number is that of the user to obtain the information and / or interaction services provided by the provider on the first connection. A system characterized by representing costs. 9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the means for initiating a billing telephone call makes a billing telephone call to a telephone number of a provider, and a bill relating to the cost of the billing telephone call. A system that signals a telephone company to send. 10. The system of claim 8 wherein the means for initiating a billing telephone call is a billing telephone call to a provider's telephone number without making an actual telephone call to the provider's telephone number. A system that signals a telephone company to send a bill for costs. 11. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for verifying that the telephone call received at the provider is a billing telephone call made by the user to the telephone number of the provider. 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein
The step of confirming that the received telephone call is a billing telephone call includes means for providing a telephone number of a user to make a billing telephone call to a provider through the first connection, and a received telephone call. Means for verifying the automatic number identifier (ANI) of the, and if the ANI of the received telephone call matches the telephone number provided to the provider by the user on the first connection,
And a means for verifying that the received telephone call is a billing telephone call made by the user. 13. The system according to claim 11, wherein
The means for confirming that the received telephone call is a billing telephone call includes: means for providing an identification number to the user through the first connection; and the identification number provided to the user for billing. Means for providing the provider on the telephone call and the received telephone call if the identification number provided to the provider on the received telephone call matches the identification number provided to the user on the first connection. And a means for verifying that the is a billing telephone call placed by the user. 14. The first party bills the second party for a telephone call from the second party in relation to a service provided by the third party to the second party. A method of sending a bill, comprising the steps of sending a bill and a step in which the first party pays the amount of the service to the third party. 15. The telephone company sends to the user, for a telephone call from the user, an invoice for an amount related to the service provided to the user by the provider; Paying an amount related to a service to the provider. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the telephone call is to a telephone number where the cost of the call to that telephone number is determined by the called party. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the service provided by the provider is the provision of information and / or interaction services on the Internet. 18. A method of providing information and / or interaction services on the Internet, comprising the steps of: a provider receiving a request for the information and / or interaction services from a user; Subsequent to making a call to a telephone number associated with the call, the provider receiving payment for the information and / or interaction service from a telephone company; and the provider providing the information and / or interaction service. Providing the user, the cost being associated with the cost of the user receiving the information and / or interaction services.